Refrigerator table



Jan. 12, 1932. N. W, TIBBOT REFRIGERATOR TABLE Filed Dec. 22, 1926 MMM/7 -Patented Jan. 12., 1932 i UNITED STATES NINA WELLES TIBBT, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA REFBIGERATOR TABLE Application 11ed December 22, 1926. Serial No. 156,350.

This invention relates to a combination refrigerator and table. In many modern apartment houses having apartments with small rooms and a small number of rooms,

it is desirable and practically necessary t have household equipment which takes up a minimum amount of space. It is-also convenient and desirable at the present time to have artificial or electrical refrigeration. It is also the practice of a great many modern hotels to equip some or all of their rooms with conveniences for containing or preparing food. A portable table, therefore, which can be used as a kitchen table or dining table and which also comprises a refrigerator, is an eX- tremely convenient and desirable article in small apartments, hotels, and residences having small space or small rooms, and in fact, in any dwelling where it is desired to economize on space.

lt is an object of this invention, therefore, to provideta table which can be used as an ordinary kitchen table, or extended and used as a breakfast or dining table, said table bezo ing equipped with suitable compartments forming a refrigerator, and with other compartments adapted to house and support the necessary driven elements of an artificial refrigerating plant.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide a table preferably having drop leaves and having at one end thereof a refrigerator, the end of the table being formed as a door, opening into the refrigerator, the table also having disposed therebeneath the necessary elements for an artificial refrigerating plant, and the other end of the table preferably being equipped with a removable panel givin access to said elements.

rlhese an other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters `refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the table;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the table;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the table; and

F ig. t is a view in end elevation seen from the end opposite to that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, a table is shown having four legs 5 arranged at the corners of a rectangle. The legs 5 have secured thereto and extending therebetween at the long sides -of the rectangle, the side members 6 of the table. The table has a top member 7 supported on the legs 5 and said top member has secured at each side thereof by the hinges 8 the drop leaves 9 which are adapted to be raised and held in horizontal alinement with the top 7. A bottom panel 10 is provided extending between the legs 5 adjacent the lower ends thereof which extends longitudinally of the table to a vertical wall or partition 11. One end of the table from which the bottom panel 10 extends is closed between the legs 5 and beneath the top 7 by a removable panel 12 held in place by any suitable catch or latch devices such as the swinging buttons 13 illustrated. The panel 10 has mounted thereon and secured thereon the base member 14 of the electric motor 15. Said panel 10 also has mounted thereon and secured thereto the frame member 16 of a compressor such as now commonly used in small artiiicial refrigerating plants. Said compressor is driven by a pulley 17 disposed at one side thereof, and said pulley isalined with the motor pulley 18, eing driven therefrom by a suitable belt 19. The wall 11 forms part of the casing which has side walls 11a and the bottom wall 11b. Spaced from the said casing is another casing having the walls 20, said casing being open at one side. The space between the walls 20 and the walls 11a and 11b is filled with suitable insulating material 21 such as cork board. The refrigerator is equipped with a door 22 adapted to fit within the walls 2O to close the open sideof the casing formed by walls 20, and said door is disposed at one end of the table and swingingly mounted upon the hinges 22a, the same being held in closed position by a latch or locking member 23 adapted to engage the keeper 24. The space within walls 20 is divided by a vertical partition 25 of metal or fabric board material and a plurality of horizontal shelves 26 extend from one side of the partition 25 to the expansion valve 29 for the unit is shown on Y to thereof, as is also the expansion coil 30, saidvalve and coil being connected to the l compressor 16 by the conduits 31 and 32 respectively.

In operation the motor will be connected by a. suitable cord and plug to a source of electric current and the compressor` 16 and conduit means 31 will operate to com ress and condense the refrigerant as is well own in the art. The condensed refrigerant will pass through the expansion yvalve from the condensing apparatus to unit 27, coil 30 and pipe 32 back to the condensing apparatus. The refrigerating devices are controlled by the expanslon valve 29 and certain thermostatic units (not shown) Enough refrigeration is produced? to cool the whole chamber within the walls'20. Food and liquids 33 and 34 respectively may be placed in the refrigerating compartment having the shelves 26 and the freezing unit 27 may also be used to freeze such materials as desired. The refrigerator is very conveniently housed within the sides of the table and access thereto is conveniently had through the door 22, and the refrigerator therefore takes up no extra space lin the room. Whenever access is necessary to the refrigerating elements such as the motor 15 and compressor 16, the panel 12 may be readily removed and the same replaced when desired. The table, as above stated, can be used as ra kitchen table and also, if desired, the leaves 9 can be utilized and the table will then be suitable for a dining table. The materials placed in the refrigerator arequite close to and in convenient relation to the table so that they can be luickly reached.` The whole device is excee ngly compact and constitutes a novel article having a high degree of utility in the modern small apartment.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a' device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is A refrigerating structure having a -plane unobstructed top surface, a refrigerant condensing apparatus housed at one end of said structure, a refrigerating unit housed in the other end of said structure and connected to said condensing apparatus, insulated walls forming a chamber and containing said re- 5 frigerating unit at one side thereof, the other 

